Latest Gwar

What possesses a musician to obscure his or her ugly mug with a mask or makeup? There are probably as many reasons as there are noodles in a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese: showmanship, shyness, chronic acne and participation in the witness protection program are a few of the more popular explanations.

With only four hours to spare, Gwar made good on Oderus Urungus' promise to open the GWARbar in 2014 when they smashed down the doors to 217 W. Clay St. Richmond, Virginia, on New Year's Eve 2014. The ensuing party has yet to die down as Gwar fans, foodies and neighborhood families revel in this new addition to the Virginia restaurant scene.

The cause of death of Gwar's Dave Brockie — aka Oderus Urungus — has been revealed. The State Medical Examiner’s Office has announced that Brockie, who passed away March 23 in Richmond, Virginia, at age 50, died of an accidental heroin overdose, reports CBS.

I recently performed at B.B. King Blues Club on 42nd Street in New York City. The band was well-rehearsed; the staff fed us well and poured red wine (and Red Bull) down our gullets, treating us like the swell blokes we are. Our friends were there, plus lots of strangers. The sound crew did a great job. We even had chord charts right there in front of us. Yet we all made careless mistakes here and there.

Last November, guitarist Cory Smoot passed away while on tour with Gwar. In the wake of his untimely death, his final project — dubbed The Cory Smoot Experiment — is set to be released June 5 via Metal Blade, with all proceeds going to the Smoot Family Fund.

Look, we all go through some hard times when we're trying to make it work with that special someone, but instead of bugging your friends and family with your little problems, why not just do the common-sense thing and ask a heavy metal band full of monsters?